This invention relates to transport aircraft galley systems, and more particularly, to systems to cool food carts prior to service by the cabin attendants.
Aircraft galley systems for modern transport aircraft incorporate food carts which are cooled to prevent food spoilage prior to use by the cabin attendants for distribution of food to passengers. These food carts are commonly interfaced with cold air supply systems in the galley designed to cool the interiors of the food carts. Such cool air distribution systems interface with the food carts by means of gaskets connecting the food carts to a plenum providing the cool air. Galley cooling systems are typically mounted in a galley cabinet, so that cool air is discharged from the galley cooling system and circulates over or through galley food carts in a galley cabinet to return to the galley cooling system to again be cooled and discharged. Air through galley food carts typically include grills built into a door of the galley food carts to allow air circulation directly over food inside.
It would be desirable to provide an improved chilled air plenum system for aircraft galleys allowing the installation and chilling by an air chiller of air over type galley food carts within the aircraft galley, having a reduced footprint with a reduced depth of about 35.9 to 36.6 inches, with duct work that can be integrated into a back wall of the galley, and having the ability to chill standard size air over carts in the reduced depth galley. It would also be desirable to provide a chilled air return plenum that extends across the back and around the sides of a galley food cart, to provide an efficient air return path around the cart. It would also be desirable to provide a chilled air return plenum having a duct that incorporates centrally mounted and lateral resilient back stops to prevent the cart from impacting the rear of the galley. The present invention meets these and other needs.